Stephen Ames's Mental Game At the TPC -- Part I

[Yoda]

Here's a transcript of Stephen Ames's post-TPC victory press conference. I've broken it into two parts due to size limitations. There are some real Chapter 14 gems in here to discuss -- I've bolded my favorites -- especially as they relate to these Homer Kelley quotes:

"The fifth routine is mental attitude -- a button to press tthat wipes out of mind everything except the program -- the non-emotional execution of a procedure."

"Don't move the Club until you are thoroughly conscious of yourself standing over the Ball with 'All Systems Go.'"

"But finally may come the time when the intended Ball behavior could be all the conscious programming you'll need to do."

Enjoy!

****************************

In Their Words: Stephen Ames / Part I


Editor's note: On a Sunday afternoon when many of the contenders at The Players Championship struggled with par, third-round leader Stephen Ames closed with a 5-under 67 that gave him a six-stroke win over Retief Goosen. The win was Ames' second on the PGA Tour, and at age 40 became the fifth 40-year-old player to win the tournament.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN [Moderator]: Stephen Ames, welcome to the media center. Congratulations on winning The Players Championship, shot a 67 today and pretty much routed the field. If we could get some opening comments from you.

STEPHEN AMES: Thanks. It was a great day obviously. I think overall it was just a matter of me getting out of my way, which I've done the last three days, and talking to Alan Fine this morning, my psychologist, and just reiterated the fact of keep doing what I've been doing the last couple days, and I did, and I think it shows out there.

Q.: You referred to out on the 18th green about your brother. Could you take us back to what happened on 10? You get a bad break, fried egg in the sand trap, make double bogey, shaking your head after the hole. What did Robert do to make sure you didn't let it linger?

STEPHEN AMES: It's just the fact that we started in the middle of the fairway and the ball did have mud on it. That's what started the spin and came up short. You start up there and I started walking off, and he looked at me, and said, you know, you've got eight holes to go, let's just forget about it. It's just a great time to have bad luck in that situation at that time. He kept going, said let's forget about it, you've got eight holes to go, and just play golf and go one shot at a time, basically what he was telling me.

Q.: Any flashbacks to a few years ago when you had your heart ripped out by Craig Perks? Shoot 66, think you may have won it and he goes chipping in?

STEPHEN AMES: No, none at all (laughing).

Q.: You responded pretty well from a double [Saturday], and then you hit the good second shot at 11. Was there a time in your career you might not have responded that well in those situations, and why were you able to put the adversity behind you as quickly as you did?

STEPHEN AMES: I think if you look at my stats, I think my bounce back is pretty good. Any time I do have a bogey or double bogey get straight back into it, if I recall my PGA Tour stats. I think it's pretty good in that sense. It's a mental issue, just a matter of you just get over the next one and get straight back into it, forget about it and just go on. That's the nature of the game and you've got to play golf that way.

Q.: The par putt on 14 was obviously pretty big for you. You got the big lead with the holes coming in, and it looked like you were tied for the lead going after every flag. Was that by design or were you just feeling that good?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know if I was going at every flag, but ...

Q.: It looked that way.

STEPHEN AMES: Did it look that way.

Q.: Not 17.

STEPHEN AMES: You know, I'm starting it in the middle of the green and I'm drawing it into the flag, yes. In a way, yeah, I'm not going directly at it, but I am starting the middle and I am seeing the shape that I want to hit it. That's how I play the game. I start it in the middle of the green and I see a shape to the hole. That's how I played the game today. Every shot and every shape that I saw I hit it.

Q.: Were you nervous?

STEPHEN AMES: No, I wasn't.

Q.: Where does today's victory rank in your career?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know, it's my second one. What do you think (laughing)? My first one was the Western Open. Let's see, that was 2004, this is The Players Championship, yeah, this is big. Yeah, this is characterized as what, the fifth major, 48 or 49 of the top 50 players were playing? I beat the top players in the world this week.

Q.: How aware were you of all the train wrecks around you? There were a lot of very good players who had some very tough days.

STEPHEN AMES: I think I was watching it with Vijay [Singh].

Q.: Yeah, you were eyewitness to one and I guess a couple ahead of you, too.

STEPHEN AMES: Unfortunately for Vijay.

Q.: Well, I guess how much scoreboard looking did you do?

STEPHEN AMES: From the first hole onwards I was looking at the scoreboards, don't worry. I was very aware of watching what everybody was doing. I was very aware of the fact of how Sergio [Garcia] and Mike [Weir] were playing in front of me, as well. Watching Vijay play, as well, it was heartbreaking watching them play as poorly as they did, unfortunately, but I just got on with my game and seeing the shots that I wanted to hit.

Q.: Robert [Ames, Stephen's caddie brother] says he's never been with you when you had a day when you hit the ball, thought so well, were all patient, so together. Have you ever had a day like this on the golf course, and just describe what it was like inside your mind and your body.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, practice rounds (laughing). No, just a typical practice round right here, what I did today. Hitting the golf ball on the range, hitting the golf ball when I played a practice round. It's typical like this, and when a golf tournament starts I'm a different person. It's something that we've obviously found out.

Q.: We know what Jodi [Ames' wife] has gone through in the not too distant past. Maybe you could just speak a little bit about how that affected you and how it affected her and what this means to her as well as you.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, last year my wife was diagnosed, obviously, with adenocarcinoma, lung cancer. In July she had her operation, took out half her lung, and you know what ... well, Tiger is familiar with it obviously, he's going through the same thing with his dad. It's hard to focus and play golf. It's next to impossible.

When I was playing the British Open last year I'm standing over each golf shot going what am I doing with this golf ball? I had no thought what I wanted to do with it. I knew right there I was in a distant zone somewhere else, and that's basically told me there, it didn't start to clear up ... I didn't start to realize where I was until probably World Championships in San Francisco when I started playing golf again.

It was a difficult year for my wife and myself. And my boys, yeah, they probably watched it all as they came in this afternoon. They're probably sitting in front of the television watching it. It's going to be a big thrill and a wonderful vacation now.

Q.: Have you spoken to Jodi yet?

STEPHEN AMES: I haven't, no.

Q.: Is that going to be a two-week vacation?

STEPHEN AMES: Not sure yet (laughing).

Q.: Seriously, is there a possibility you won't play the Masters?

STEPHEN AMES: I have no plans of playing at Augusta. My kids have just come out of ... for their spring break, and we had plans to go somewhere else. My priorities have always been my family first. If it comes down to that, it's probably going to be a two-week vacation, yes.

Q.: What is the status of your citizenship?

STEPHEN AMES: For which country (laughter)?

Q.: For your individual country.

STEPHEN AMES: I am born in Trinidad and Tobago. I am also a Canadian citizen. I live in Canada and have been there for the last 12 years.

Q.: Is it possible your wife might talk you into Augusta?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know. I'm not sure about it yet.

Q.: What will determine whether you go to Augusta? Would your wife and children have to say go, pop?

STEPHEN AMES: No, I'd rather go on vacation to be truthful.

Q.: So are you telling us you will not play the Masters?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know yet. We'll see.

Q.: Where is the vacation planned for?

STEPHEN AMES: Home, Trinidad and Tobago.

Q.: Can you give us a brief update on Jodi? Is she making a nice recovery?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, she's doing very well. She's doing excellent now. She's at the stage now of her surgery where she's basically ... she walks up the stairs now and she's trying to catch her breath. That's where she is right now.

Q.: Would you call what you did on the back nine finding another gear? Did you intentionally or unintentionally step your game up to that much bigger a level for the last eight holes?

STEPHEN AMES: I think I did that this week, put myself in another gear and another place that I've probably felt a couple times in my career of playing golf, but not for four days like I did this week. Coming down to the end there, it was a matter of seeing the shot and hitting the shot and not worrying about it because there wasn't ... nobody was that close to me to worry about it. You know, it was just a matter of playing the right shot, making sure that I wasn't going to leave myself short-sided, I wasn't going to make myself have a hard chip or a putt. As you know, coming down to the end there, it was always to the safe side of the flag coming in. That's just the way I hit the golf ball. I hit the ball really well this week, and it helped.

Q.: Most guys would show a more exuberant reaction to getting into the Masters. Not to rebill the point. I think we all find your reaction somewhat interesting, in that you're not salivating over the chance to go, particularly after you've had one week off. Is there any particular ... anything in particular about Augusta, negative previous experience, or you just ...

STEPHEN AMES: No, I've only had one experience and it was last year ... I think it was last year.

Q.: Two years ago.

STEPHEN AMES: I haven't had a bad experience at Augusta. It's the greatest place in the world. I have no bad experiences there. Like I said, it wasn't planned, and we still have to talk about it.

Q.: A quick follow-up. When was Jodi originally diagnosed? Do you remember where you were, how you heard? How hard it was?

STEPHEN AMES: May of 2005.

Q.: Were you on the road or at home?

STEPHEN AMES: I was home. We both went together actually.

Q.: In Canada?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah.

Q.: Just kind of rephrasing his question, you said a second ago I'd rather go on vacation than play in the Masters. Can you give us a second sentence? Why is that?

STEPHEN AMES: Well, basically it wasn't on the schedule, and my kids are on their spring break right now, so I'm going to have to cut their spring break short by saying dad is going to go play another golf tournament. It just wasn't on the schedule. Now it is, obviously, so I've got to sit down and talk to them about it and see what happens.

Q.: You said a minute ago you'd rather go on vacation, it sounds like ...

STEPHEN AMES: I haven't made my mind up. Nothing is final yet. I don't have to commit until, I think, next week Friday. First I've got to get the invitation, don't I?

Q.: I think you've got one.

STEPHEN AMES: Did I? I've got to wait for the invitation.

Q.: Will you let us know when you make up your mind?

STEPHEN AMES: Sure. I'll get IMG to call you.

Q.: You'd be considered a longshot for winning this tournament. Do you feel like someone ... do you feel like a longshot for this week, or did you expect to win, think you could win coming in?

STEPHEN AMES: I felt I played well. Winning, well, probably not until walking up the 18th hole, then it was kind of done with that sense. I've always enjoyed playing the TPC, this golf course. It's always suited my eye and my game.

As the week went on it got tougher and tougher, but the wind helped the situation, also. You're not going to get too many low scores. Yeah, I guess I was a longshot.

Q.: Did any of the weird Canadian fans drift back from Weir's group?

STEPHEN AMES: No. You were up there with him, weren't you (laughter)?

Q.: You seem like a really glib guy who's been a bit reticent to talked about what happened at La Costa. Now you've got this huge victory and a career redefining moment. Is there any vindication, any ... that was an awkward situation, you got caught on the wrong end. Now six weeks later you won the biggest first place check in golf. Is there any vindication there?

STEPHEN AMES: No. No. Why? He's the No. 1 player in the world.

Q.: So it wasn't ...

STEPHEN AMES: I got beat by a better player.

Q.: But you got trounced, as you said. Very few guys ... I've been out here a while. I'd wager that 20, 30 guys would never recover from something like that.

STEPHEN AMES: I never thought about it. I got my ass kicked and that was it. Next week, next event; that's how I went on. What am I going to do, sit down and cry about it? It's second. He's the No. 1 player in the world and he played exceptionally well for ... was it nine or ten holes?

Q.: Ten holes (laughter).

STEPHEN AMES: He was 7-under after 9 and I was 2-over par. That was it. Next.

Q.: You're playing on a day that's very difficult and there are those train wrecks going on around you. How did you keep that practice round feel in your own mind that you talked about earlier? How did you get yourself in that place where you could be that free and easy?

STEPHEN AMES: Just back to the first day from the things that we've been working on all week with Alan. It's just a matter of getting over each golf shot, committing to the golf shot, and if I didn't feel like I was where I needed to be, which was present, then I was to back off and start again. That's where I was all week was trying to be present on every golf shot.

Q.: And he gets paid for that?

STEPHEN AMES: Hey, at least he found it. I couldn't.

Q.: Which was the better shot, second on 11 or the second one on 16?

STEPHEN AMES: Second on 11, by far.

Q.: You got lucky a little bit on 16?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, of course, without a doubt. It caught the downslope and kicked. Like I said, the wind switched. We thought it was down off the left, so we hit the club thinking it was going to help it but it never did. When I hit the high fade it was floating back into us. It came up a bit short, but, hell, I made the putt, didn't I? That's eagle.

Q.: At various points today, you had Sergio [Garcia], Vijay, Ernie [Els], Retief [Goosen] all making runs at you. Does that make it more meaningful? I mean, that's the varsity right there.

STEPHEN AMES: Again, I think it's more meaningful, the fact that there were 49 or 48 of the top 50 players in the world playing, more that than anything else.

Transcript provided by ASAP Sports.